Roberto Behind Ánimo!

We’ve had tabs on this restaurant ever since we took curious glimpses of the interior during construction. I’m a big fan of curved marble tables and will rush to any spot with ample seating. So when we saw the founder, Roberto, during their soft opening, we were so excited to ask if we could feature him.

This spot fills a gap in the NYC food scene and especially in Midtown East’s with its full Mexican breakfast and lunch menu. We could not be more excited to share, especially because it opened yesterday on 10/10—how fitting. Welcome to Ánimo!!

For Roberto, Mexican breakfast  is more than just food. He reminisces about Sunday mornings as a child, “me and my family used to gather for a traditional Mexican breakfast and that's where we connected as a family. For us it signifies family, tradition, love, and just having a good time. Mexican breakfast is a ritual that brings the best of us, besides the incredible delicious food. So we wanted to bring that feeling and that magic to New York City.”

Roberto’s earliest memories of dining out can be visualized by conchas and freshly squeezed orange juice at Sanborns in Mexico with his cousin and uncle. “I can still taste it to this day. It's really stuck with me, and, those flavors, I know them by heart.” We are so glad that Ánimo! is now bringing the same authenticity to NYC and we can’t wait to dig in.

When we first met Roberto, we quickly delved into the cities that inspired the restaurant—Monterrey and Mexico City. The space has elements from the architecture of Mexico City interwoven with a more traditional feel of Monterrey that you can feel in the warmth of the colors. He added that he loves to travel because it “fosters [his] creativity and appreciation for different types of environments and different types of food.” Same here at Savour—we love that, simply by taking the 6 train, we can experience and appreciate flavors from all over the world.

We personally love the mural. It's such a fun take on our daily commute, which we all know too well—if only it were as peaceful and enjoyable as it looks here. Painted by an artist from Mexico City, “it captures the essence of Ánimo!. Ánimo is a word that doesn't have a direct translation but can mean something like cheer up! And that's so important in a city like New York, where you need a little nudge, a little pat in the back to get on going with your day.” The perfect way to start a day.

The walls feature Mexican artists from the past, as well as the famous Alebrijes. Roberto taught us that these traditional mythical figures were created in the ‘50s by an artist in Oaxaca and are now known all over the world. We have to say that the bathroom is also an immersive experience of its own with sounds of nature, transporting you straight into a jungle of serenity.

So if you’re looking to slow down the pace before conquering another day, Ánimo! is the perfect spot. If we’ve learned anything from this interview, it’s that mornings can be special—we might start becoming early birds to take advantage of this new discovery!

Bites to Savour

 Do you have any hot takes on the NYC food scene?

“I really love the New York food scene. I've been here for many years and if I had to be maybe just a bit controversial, I can say that sometimes the breakfast part seems to be kind of repetitive and lacks a little bit of imagination. And that's what we're trying to bring with Ánimo! - a fresh take on breakfast. We're doing the same thing that we have been doing in Mexico for many years, but now we're doing it here in New York. So it's a very different type of breakfast than what we're used to, but I believe that it's just as great.”

If you could only have one item on your menu, what would it be?

“Besides the Mexican Vanilla Latte, which is my preferred coffee drink in the house, my preferred item would be the Barbacoa and Egg Taco. It's just a very, very delicious taco. The barbacoa is a slow cooked meat that brings out all the flavors because the way it's cooked just does that. And the egg is cooked to perfection. You can add avocado and it's just a perfect taco. Amazing.”

What are your favorite restaurants in NYC?

“I can think of two right off the bat. It would be Oxomoco, which has been getting some rave as of late, and Casa Enrique. Both of those places bring authentic Mexican food with a modern style.”

Lastly, who should we feature next on our newsletter?

“We love Birch Coffee. Perfect. And one of our coffee suppliers, it's a company called El Condor. They provide the most amazing coffee. In our case, it's from Mexico. They are so meticulous about how they roast their coffee and they do a fantastic job.”

See how we spent our morning with Roberto and Ánimo! 

Ánimo! just opened! Make sure to check them out at 1004 2nd Ave. (M-F: 7:00 - 16:00, Sa-Su: 8:00 - 16:00) for a heartwarming breakfast to prep you for wherever your day may take you.

With compliments to the chef,

Jenn and Josh

Co-Founders, Shortlist New York